


Ground Control

by orenjikitty



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Lenily, Pharmercy, hinted mchanzo - Freeform, hinted zarmei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-09 23:14:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11114919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orenjikitty/pseuds/orenjikitty
Summary: An opportunity of a lifetime lands in the hands of Overwatch. A journey to the moon, fully funded. Seemed simple enough.But will Angela be able to ground herself enough to focus on the mission when the object of her affection is coming with them (and her friends aren’t being helpful at all).





	1. Check Ignition

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah I shouldn't have started another thing but what can you do. The new map + the new voice lines are just to much NOT to write about.

This was...not a typical mission. Angela had realized this. The rest of the team had realized this.

But she still held her doubts on why they were chosen for it.

Sure it made sense but still.

When the French space agency, CNES, contacted them with an opportunity to go to the moon, she almost laughed at their face.

Almost.

But the French were serious. Drafted an agreement and accord and everything. Who were they to turn it down? They did offer to fund everything; training, shuttle and even protection from the Petras act for the sake of this mission. Brussels wasn't happy with CNES but they were in no position to argue since France had some leverage in the situation: they had one of the test subjects from the moon, one of the ones who started the rebellion, in their custody.

From what they were briefed on, CNES didn't want to send their own people up due to the high potential of the other rebels still being up there. So the newly formed, very illegal, Overwatch was chosen, seeing as they had one of the "space gorilla" as Hana put it, of their own. It was a simple retrieval mission on paper. Land on the moon, extract all the files from the lunar colony's drives and bring it back for CNES to analyze.

3 months training, 3 days to the moon, 10 days (roughly) on the moon itself before another 3 day trip back. It seemed simple, yes, but Angela knew better than to assume.

Winston was set to go for sure, CNES not really making it possible for them not to send him since he knew the base and the potential threats that might await them.

Lena was the second pick on the 5 person team. Lena was a trained RAF pilot, one of its best even to date. She knew her way around space shuttles and systems and was another obvious choice, at least to Winston who was now in charge of the team.

Her being picked was another obvious thing, although Angela was at first against on going. But the opportunity proved too great to pass up. The idea of working on the base, even for a short while, was enticing. She would be able to test her nanites in an environment she might never be able to go back to again.

The fact that Winston had chosen her was also an honour. Winston trusted her, trusted her skills and her judgement was telling of how long they have worked together. She had always liked Winston, both as a scientist and a friend.

(The pout on Lucio's face was also an added bonus. She loved the boy but he was too eager sometimes. He was also still sidelined since his tech was still being fixed by Torbjorn.)

Mei was also chosen, given her prior experience on the moonbase. Angela had heard of her exploits of literally smuggling herself on a spacecraft and Winston seem to agree with her so Angela kept her skepticism to herself.

But the 5th of the team was a surprise, to her at least.

"Ready to go?" Fareeha had asked, giving her a smile that made Angela nod dumbly in response. "Do you need any help with your stuff?"

"I..uh...I think I'm good," Angela replied, hefting the Valkyrie suitcase higher on her back, the case containing her staff and pistol in another. The nanites, test cultures, other equipment was already packed around her, ready to go.

"You only have 2 hands, Angela. And I can count at least 3 boxes that need to be carried," Fareeha said, offering one of her free hands to carry something. "Let me help, please."

Angela blushed, the sincerity in Fareeha's offer was there. She sighed, pointing Fareeha to the box that held the computer and microscope she was set to bring up. "You can bring those, I guess."

Fareeha smiled, picking up the box like it weighed nothing to take to the shuttle waiting for them. "I'll come back for the rest."

Angela nodded, walking slowly with the rest of her stuff. A mission. To space. 2 weeks. In space. With Fareeha.

"You're blushing Dr. Z," Lena commented, zipping from one side to the other. "Are you blushing because Fareeha is coming with us?"

"Shut up, Lena," Angela gritted out, trying to whisper but Lena's laugh drew attention to them.

"It's okay, love. If it helps you make a move, there's something definitely there," Lena added, zipping away to help Mei load up her stuff. The revelation made her stop, mind going through all the scenarios in her head. How could she have missed it? What could she have missed? Angela's eyes bulged at the info, Mei giving her a confused look as she passed her for the shuttle.

"Lena, you broke Angela," Mei shouted, waving her hand in front of Angela. "Look at her!"

"Come on, Angie! These Frenchmen won't like it if we're late for training!" Lena said, appearing behind her to give her a light shove. "You can have a gay panic in the shuttle."

"I'm not panicking!"

"And I'm the Queen of bloody England," Lena replied, grabbing the Valkyrie's case off her back. "Come on! Move!"

"Sorry who is having a panic attack?" Winston asked, coming on board the shuttle.

"Angela's having a gay panic attack. It's fine. Nothing serious," Mei clarified, Angela gaping at her betrayal.

"Is that...different from a normal panic attack? Should I be concerned?" Winston questioned, eyes darting from Lena (who was laughing on the ground), Mei (who was trying and failing on hiding her smile) and Angela (who was still staring at Mei).

"Nothing to worry about, Big Guy," Lena replied after calming down. Fareeha entered the shuttle, confused as to why Lena broke down laughing again as Angela huffed and walked to the back to the shuttle.

"Did I do something wrong?" Fareeha asked, putting the boxes she held delicately beside the other luggage.

"Oh no love," Lena chirped in. "If anything, you did something right."

* * *

Angela wiped her brow, checking the device as it started to glow. They were given a small lab to make modifications to their equipment, Angela remembering the joy in Mei’s and Winston’s faces when they were shown around.

Although space travel had been more common, their suits were still untested in the vacuum of space. She doubted the would spend a lot of time on the moon’s surface itself (aside from Lena who insisted she will be spending hours collecting space rocks for Emily), but she wanted to make sure this test suit would be capable of surviving out there.

Fareeha too was eager to spend some time on the moon’s surface but it was more from the engineering standpoint. Helix permitted her to bring a test Raptora suit, giving them unprecedented access to the blueprints and tech that went behind the security firm’s marquee suits. Helix had invested quite a lot in the Raptora Systems and to be attached to this mission gave them a considerable boost. If Fareeha’s tests proved to be positive, they can start marketing the fact their suits are space worthy.

Angela shook her head, knowing the bureaucratic ploy too well but Fareeha’s enthusiasm made her excited as well. They had tested the suits in a low gravity situation, both of them flying higher than they’ve ever flown before but the helmets they donned was something they had to get used to. She and Mei drew up some rudimentary plans for a new mask, something more lightweight and manageable but still providing them with the protection they needed. Getting the French to approve the design was surprisingly easy once she told them that she would give them exclusive rights to them after they test it in space themselves. CNES agreed, giving them authorization to consult with Satya and Torbjorn on the new masks.

The miniature airlock pinged, the mask’s diagnostics filling her screen with positive notes. Angela smiled, Satya and Torbjorn checking the figures in their own screens before typing their responses.

 **SVaswani:** Perfect. I’m sure this will help you up there compared to the helmets they provided.  
**Lindholm.T1:** For sure! I’m sure these will be better.  
**Ziegler.A1:** Thank you for your help, Satya. And you as well Torbjorn.  
**Lindholm.T1:** I should be there too but what can you do….  
**Ziegler.A1:** You would have died during the obstacle course….  
**SVaswani:** Best of Luck. Safe Travels.  
**Ziegler.A1:** Thanks! Time to make 4 more of these and we should be set for next week.  
**Lindholm.T1:** Good luck! Bring my sons some rocks, okay?  
**Ziegler.A1:** Lena has you covered. Good night!

A knock on the door made her turn, Fareeha smiling at her as she came in with a cup of something. “Oolong Tea. Mei made some for us,” Fareeha said as she passed the cooling cup to her. “How’s the new masks?”

“Good. Satya and Torbjorn signed off on them,” Angela motioned to the monitor showing the positive results and the virtual signatures of their colleagues. “Just need you, Mei and Winston to sign off on them too.”

“So we can test this one?” Fareeha asked, looking at the numbers herself. “I have to admit, the inclusion of hard light tech to make it lightweight but transparent was brilliant.” Angela blushed at the compliment, instead taking a sip out of the tea she was given. “Satya and the miracles she can do with Hardlight Technology, I swear,” Fareeha looked at her with a smile, checking the mask itself. “I’m sure they’d let me test it in the training chamber.”

“You trust me that much to put yourself on the line with unproven technology?” Angela questioned, Fareeha laughing at her questioning.

“You helped design the Chronal Accelerator. You’ve made so many life saving technologies to even count,” Fareeha advised, putting her cup down to place her hands on Angela’s shoulders. “If there is anyone in the world I trust with my life, it’s you.”

“That’s...comforting,” Angela replied, Fareeha beaming at her with pride. “Wanna tell the rest of them that it’s ready for testing?”

“Sure,” Fareeha agreed, taking her cup again, looking at the numbers one last time before taking the stylus to sign off on the design. “It has my approval. I’ll go get them now.”

Angela nodded, watching as Fareeha left the workshop before sighing into her cup. Lena walked by, giving her a quick wink before disappearing down the same hallway. She smiled into the cup of tea, noticing now that it was sweetened a bit to her liking. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t imagining it.

Maybe Lena was right. If she was though, Angela knew she would never hear the end of it.

But maybe she didn’t want to.

* * *

It wasn’t foreign for her to hear the sounds of an acoustic guitar within Overwatch. In fact, she highly recommended it as a form of therapy. Gabriel used to keep one in his office at all times, Angela sometimes hearing him sing in both Spanish and English when it was calmer.

Jesse too, played the guitar, although Jesse’s tastes were not what she liked. Still, it was always a welcome distraction when Jesse did pop into her office, guitar already in hand looking for a spot to sit and play. He knew it calmed her down, made her feel like they were normal, made her forget that they were in a war, even for just a few minutes, before both of them were called back to action.

The fact that she was hearing the sounds of a guitar right now though, was a little bit confusing, until she saw who it was. Angela smiled, noting Fareeha’s look as she mindlessly strummed a tune. “I didn’t know that you played,” she commented, Fareeha looking back at her with a smile.

“Didn’t ask,” Fareeha replied, stopping briefly to take a sip out of her drink. “Any song requests?”

“Free Bird?” Angela teased, making Fareeha’s brow crease before the other shook her head.

“I can play it you know,” Fareeha advised, plucking the strings to the melody of the requested song. “Dad and granddad made sure I knew the classics.”

Angela laughed. “Yes, we all know your love of classic rock,” Angela remembering Fareeha scold Genji and Jesse on the difference between classic and progressive rock a couple of months ago. How Fareeha held her ground when she and Jack talk about Rush and Metallica and classics that her own father had listened to. “Sing for me?”

Fareeha patted the ground beside her, Angela sitting down just as Fareeha started to play a tune she had heard from her own parents long ago.

 _Ground Control to Major Tom_ _  
_ _Ground Control to Major Tom_

Angela looked up, the rooftop they were sitting on showing the rocket they were to take in the morning. The setting sun illuminated the horizon, but somehow, it didn’t calm her down.

 _Take your protein pills and put your helmet on_ _  
_ _Ground Control to Major Tom_

She was going into space. They all were. Opportunities like this was rare, but the fact they were afforded it was….

 _Commencing countdown, engines on_ _  
_ _Check ignition and may God's love be with you_

Angela sighed, resting her head against Fareeha’s shoulder as the other continued to sing softly. Tomorrow, they would be with the stars. Tomorrow they would be on their way to the moon, possibility of them not coming back is still uncertain.

She heard Fareeha say something in Arabic, low enough that she almost didn't hear it with the wind. She smiled into Fareeha’s shoulder as she continued to play, just humming to the tune now.

_I love you too._


	2. Sitting in a Tin Can

There had always been an assumption amongst the world’s organizations and governments that the occupants of the Lunar colony had all been...well…

Angela sneered when she remembered the reports. She remembered that she was taking a break from back to back surgeries, the screens of the break room showing the US President, flanked by other world leaders and scientists telling the world that the research on the base had been a success. No mentions of what happened on the base itself. No mentions of the scientists lives now lost in the hands of the other “experiments.” 

The rebellion made headlines. Years of research, gone overnight. The arrival of Winston, his subsequent recruitment by Overwatch overshadowed what had happened on the moon. Winston proved that the tests they had been doing on the moon was a success. Governments seemed to have agreed that the base was a lost cause. That it was better to wait out the potential 10 year supply of food on the base than to send people to potentially die from the rebels.

What’s the lives of 20 odd scientists right?

She frowned as she looked out from the ISS window, seeing the moon’s surface so close already. They had arrived on the ISS only hours before, the shuttle they were to use to get to the moon’s surface getting ready for the trip down to the surface and the (eventual) return 2 weeks from now. She saw the base on the surface, the names that Winston told them about still fresh in her mind. 

The base was the accumulative effort and dedication by countless countries on the space exploration. It was a test base to see if living on the moon for an extended amount of time was sustainable by not only humans but other beings as well. It was a precedent for humanity’s hopes for Mars and beyond. 

In her mind, Horizon proved that they were not ready. Humanity turned and abandoned the base after one incident. The task force she KNEW the Chinese and the Russians had at the ready went unused during the first reports of the attack. No one but them had been sent up to check on the colony in over a decade. Angela knew they as a species wasn’t ready.

Not ready at all.

“Angela,” she heard Fareeha call out to her, the woman appearing down the hall and gesturing for her to follow. “Winston wants to see us. Quick meeting before tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Angela replied, taking one last look out the window. Were they ready, she wondered. The masks had been a success thus far. Their suits have survived as along with everything they had brought over for the 10 odd days they were scheduled to be on the base itself. She’s had to talk Lena down from doing a space walk once already, the pout of the younger woman gave her (and snapped a picture of ) was already making the rounds on the internet last she heard thanks to Hana.

Will they make it though? If the numbers were correct, then either they will find an empty base, everyone either dead (Angela grimaced at the thought) or everyone having found a way off. 

Somehow. 

It was possible, seeing as the French had specimen 23: Hypatia in their custody. But the others; human and animal alike were yet to be accounted for. Hypatia hasn’t spoken a word other than the word “traitor” when she saw Winston. No amount of probing made her talk. 

The only other way anyone would have survived would be if they initiated what Winston thought about: Code Theta. The dread of the Theta being applied made Angela shiver. Theta would make their trip pretty much useless. Winston didn’t believe it would have been done. He was confident enough about the other specimen’s behaviours as well as the scientists on base to assure them that the base would be intact for them to live and work in while they were there.

Angela followed Fareeha into a little room, Lena happily spinning as she floated around. Winston and Mei seemed to be at ease with the low gravity, both looking over the blueprints of the base when they both came in. “Ah perfect. This will be quick,” Winston said, Angela and Fareeha taking opposing sides of the table as Winston projected the base itself. A section of the base became red, enlarging on the holograph to become 3D. “This is where we will land. From the ISS reports, this is the safest and most secure location we go for now.”

The hologram rotated to show the other side of the doorway. A small airlock tunnel connected the space to what seemed to be the main housing rooms and classrooms, Winston placing another marker to show where they were to head. “Hydroponics is our main target here. If my calculations are correct, most of their computers are in tact. When the others rebelled, they left Hydroponics alone. At least...that’s how I remember it.”

“That’s good news, innit?” Lena asked, setting herself down on the ground again. “Should make getting the data we need simple.”

“Uhh...not really,” Mei piped in. The map spun again, showing the details of the hydroponics lab and what it connected to. “If there are still rebels up there, we may find a bulk load of them either in the gym here or the loading bay here.” The sections lit up on the map. Angela leered at the info, both sections flanked the area they needed to access. “If they are as smart as Winston here, they might have fortified either spots for an easy defense. We have to be extra careful as the computers there might just be bait at this point.”

Angela saw Fareeha nod, the younger woman studying the plans carefully. Angela sighed, placing her hands on the table. “We need to minimize the damage if we do get into an altercation. Entering from those tunnels would mean potentially more areas to get shot from and more equipment we might damage,” she reasoned. The rest of the team nodded, agreeing with her. 

“What if we entered from the loading bay?” Fareeha suggested. “It’s the best way to minimize the damage and would give us the quickest way in and out of that area.”

“Airlocks in the loading bay are not functional,” Winston said, stroking his chin. “But I see what you mean, Fareeha. If we can already confirm that the Loading Bay is empty, we can easily seal off the Gym and the rest of the base, leaving us the hydroponics labs and the loading bay. Easier to defend, easier to work with since the power station is also attached the loading bay.”

“Exactly,” Fareeha said, spinning the hologram around. “There has to be a way to turn the airlocks back on from the outside right? Each sector would have been compartmentalized, unless Theta as implemented. Means each sector would have been designed to have a failsafe even from the outside.”

Winston tapped his nose as he thought of the base again. “There is a manual switch outside, on the roof.” Winston started to say, the smile on Fareeha’s face now turning into a grin. “I can walk you through it, but we’d all have to be close by just in case..”

Fareeha nodded. “Angela and I can get up there. If we turn the airlocks on, we can drive the transport van into the loading bay after we finish our sweep.”

“How long will it take to do a manual override?” Angela asked, Winston turning to her.

“With Fareeha and you working on it, a couple of hours, max. My fingers won't be able to do that delicate of a job,” Winston admitted. “Mei and I can also make sure there the oxygen tanks are still working while you guys work. Those are on the ground.”

“Perfect.”

“And Lena?” Angela asked, the younger woman smiling at her.

“Security?” Lena proposed, giving her a wink. “I know I’m not Fareeha here but I think I can manage to protect you guys as you work.”

Angela glared as Fareeha chuckled at the suggestion. “All settled then. Angela and Fareeha will use their suits to fix the airlock, Lena will run security for both teams while Mei and I will check on the oxygen. No need to go through the other set of airlocks,” Winston recited the new plan, everyone nodding in agreement. “I think that’s it. Good work everyone.”

Fareeha turned to Angela with a smile, “Guess we’re watching each other’s backs again.”

“Guess so,” Angela replied, moving towards the door. “I’ll always have your back, Fareeha.”

“And I’ll always have yours.”

“Gods! Get a room already!” Lena shouted, disappearing down the hallway with a laugh. A blush crept up on Angela’s cheeks, Fareeha just laughing it off as she followed Lena down the hall, turning back briefly to wave Angela to follow. 

“You coming?” Fareeha asked, stopping as she held out her hand. Angela smiled, nodding as she took the outstretched hand to follow both of them to the mess area to eat.

* * *

“In and out in 9 days guys,” Lena called out, driving the buggy like she’d done it all her life. “The moon! We’re on the bloody moon!”

“Lena! Crater!” Angela screamed out, Lena just laughing as she swerved the last minute to avoid the crater. “I swear to god, Lena Oxton! If you’re trying to emulate that game from the turn of the century, I wil-CRATER!”

“Relax Angie!” Lena replied, driving around the crater again. Fareeha laughed, Mei just shaking her head as Winston kept an eye on the holo map in his hands. “I know what I’m doing.”

Angela huffed, gripping the seat tighter under her. She wasn’t a religious woman. She really wasn’t. But times like these made her recite what had been ingrained to her from her childhood.

(And space agencies really needed to relax their policies on alcohol consumption in space. She might design space wine herself, now that she thought of it. She can’t be the only one who has suffered through this and wanted a drink.)

Fareeha looked back from her spot in the front to give her an apologetic smile under the new Raptora helmet they had made back on earth. Angela gave her a small smile, shaking her head as Fareeha returned her gaze out the front windows. She was happy that the masks and helmets they had designed were a success. 

She was especially proud of her design of Fareeha’s mask. Retrofitting the Raptora’s helmet to have a clear oxygen mask underneath had been a challenge but Fareeha herself approved of the design, making it easier for her to work with what she already knew. Angela had to admit (not that she would to everyone else) that she mostly did it so she can keep seeing Fareeha’s smile.

How she loved her smile.

“LENA!”

“WEEEEEEEEE!” The pilot shouted as the buggy went airborne for a couple of seconds, Lena, Mei and Fareeha’s laughter drowning out Angela’s scream as they landed back on the ground. “We’re here!”

“I will kill you myself, Lena, I swear to god!”

“Who’d get us home then, hm?” Lena asked, sticking her tongue out, making Angela glare at her. “Far can’t pilot the shuttle on her own.”

“Winston can. You’re not as needed as you think, Oxton,” Fareeha joked, Lena looking at her aghast. “Let me scout ahead. Be back in a second,” she said stepping out of the buggy, coming into the comm lines shortly after. “Don’t kill her though, Angie. Emily might get mad that you killed her girlfriend.”

“Excuse you, Captain Amari,” Lena butted in. “It’s fiancee now! I didn’t spend all that money on that ring of hers to NOT marry the girl. When are you going to ask Angie over there out anyways?”

Angela choked in her helmet, blushing red as a tomato at Lena’s straightforwardness. “Le-Lena…I…” Angela thanked whichever deity made Fareeha step out of the buggy so  that didn’t have to see the look on Fareeha’s face at the moment. “I...uh…”

“Ladies, please save your aforementioned ‘gay panic attacks’ until after we’ve secured the loading bay,” Winston said, adjusting the goggles of his mask.

Lena laughed, looking back at the scientist as he got his gear ready. “No one’s having a ‘gay panic attack’, Big Guy. It’s...complicated.”

Winston turned his head in confusion. “Oh...well I thought that Angela was going into what Lena called earlier to be a ‘gay panic attack’ again. Seeing as she’s showing the exact same redness and stuttering.” Winston replied.

Mei laughed, clutching her chest as she started to hit the empty chair beside her. Angel was about to reply when Fareeha came back on the comms. “No signs of anything yet. Ready whenever you are, Mercy.”

The change of name made Angela forget the teasing, grabbing her staff and small bag before opening the door. “So she wasn’t having a gay panic attack?” Winston asked, getting two head shakes from Lena and Mei. “Then...oh heck. Explain it to me inside. Let’s get going.”

Angela cleared her throat. “Yeah. Let’s.” she shot a glare at both Lena and Mei, both women giving her a wink as she exited the buggy. “We’ll talk later.”

“Enjoy your time together, Angie!”

“Change to another channel if need be!” Mei added. “I don’t need to hear that!”

“I hate you both,” Angela retorted before she exited the transport, shaking her head the entire time.

* * *

She found Fareeha jumping on the surface of the moon, testing out how much of her thrusters she needed to use to get them airborne. Fareeha turned around and nodded at her, how hovering slightly above the ground. “This...I could get use to this,” Fareeha commented, disengaging her thrusters for her to remain afloat for some time before landing again. “Oh I can definitely get use to this.”

“Low Gravity has adverse effects on health,” Angela reminded her, Fareeha shrugging as they started their approach to the base. There was no noise. No ambient sound that could alert them of anything was approaching them. It made Angela’s stomach twist. She wasn’t used to this. She had been so used to hearing for cues from both the enemy and from her own teammates to get them in and out of safety. Fareeha turned to her, eyes hard with concentration. She could feel the tension in Fareeha as well. 

Neither of them were used to this. 

Silence.

Just pure, silence.

Fareeha looked around them, checking the corner quickly as she used some of her thrusters to go up. They had developed some hand signals amongst themselves (and Hana too since the girl insisted) and Fareeha was asking her to wait. She nodded, pistol still drawn out in case of something. Fareeha did her sweep of the roof, looking down at her every so often to give her a nod and another hand signal, knowing Angela would remember what she had found.

When Fareeha returned to the edge, giving her a final ‘okay’, did she join her on the roof. “Outside is clear. You’re free to drive up,” Angela said into the comm piece, seeing the transport start to move towards them. 

“It’s over here,” Fareeha said, walking towards the panel Winston had mentioned during the drive. A simple lock kept them from what they needed. “Needs a key.” Angela smirked, shooting the lock off, making Fareeha flinch back. “Or we could do that.”

“No one would have heard that anyways. Besides, Winston would have fussed over the key for far too long if we asked him,” Angela explained, looking at the panel, remembering exactly what they needed to do. “Think you can keep up with my directions?”

Fareeha grinned, slinging her rocket launcher back on her back to take the wrench Angela was offering her. “You doubting my engineering degree, doctor?”

“I’m not doubting anything, Captain,” Angela replied, taking out the holopad to hook into the panel. “Just wondering why you’re still standing there when we should be working on this.”

“I can’t admire the view?” Fareeha asked, twirling the wrench in her fingers. “Few people can see this view, you know.”

Angela looked back at her. Fareeha’s grin was shining under the mask, eyes still hidden under the visor but she can picture how her eyes would have lit up. Behind her was the Earth, blue and peaceful. “Yeah….few do.”

 


	3. Live Circuits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3 words shouldn't be that hard to say...right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp work took over my writing time. It's finished though! YAY! 
> 
> Also, please go support Chibiko whom I drew inspiration from on one scene. Look at this pic - https://twitter.com/Chibikochibs/status/875402453948153857. I had to add it to the story.

“We’re clear!” Lena said, lowering her guns. Angela continued to hold onto her pistol, Fareeha still on high alert above them. “Good call on using the loading bay, Captain!”

“That only confirms that the rest of the subjects might have gone somewhere else,” Winston said from the terminal. “Pharah, Tracer. Do a quick sweep of this wing.”

“Roger.”   
  
“You got it, Big Guy,” Lena replied, zipping ahead of Fareeha to cover the ground.

Winston sighed, Mei and Angela finally lowering their guns to take off their masks. “I’m...I’m actually back.”

“We’ll find the rest of them, Winston. Or find the answers you’ve been looking for all these years,” Mei replied, squeezing his shoulder. “I’ll go set up some defenses and start looking at some of the files.”

“Okay,” he responded, looking around the loading bay. Angela stood beside him, watching him carefully. “This...this is the last place I saw him. My mentor.”

“What was he like?” Angela asked, noticing a faint smile come on Winston’s face.

“He was a brilliant man. One of the best here. Tried to keep the peace all the time,” Winston said, looking around him again. “What if we don’t find what we need, Angela? What if this was for nothing?”

“Then we try to piece what happened after you left to make sense of it all,” Angela responded, seeing Lena and Fareeha come back. Both of them already disengaged their masks, Lena grinning at them. “Anything?”

“All clear. We even checked around the gym area and where we would have entered. This entire sector is deserted,” Lena explained, Fareeha nodding in agreement. “We did find this though,” she said, handing Winston over a picture of Harold and himself. “It was in his office, I think. It looked like his office.”

“Th...Thanks Lena.”

“Anytime, Big Guy,” Lena said, hugging Winston tightly. “Now, wanna give us a tour after I drive the transport in here? I’d love to know what was done here. There’s some primo stuff that we saw during our sweep I’d love to know about.”

Winston chuckled, taking off the jet back on his back. “Sure thing.”

* * *

Thousands.

Literally thousands of files, still unprocessed, still unread since they got here. Angela sighed as she stifled a yawn behind her hand, pressing skip on the playlist she had prepared. 

Winston set forth a plan of action for their first week and so far, they’ve followed it to the dot. Communications was reestablished within 48 hours of landing, much to the delight of various space agencies, the Chinese and the Russians in particular. Once they had set up some the defenses, Winston gave them a tour and they were free to choose their own quarters. Winston outright refused his old room, ‘too painful of a memory’ he said and chose to stay in the gym instead. 

Angela chose one of the empty rooms near the upper computer labs, Fareeha being volunteered by Lena and Mei to be her bunk mate. There was room for each of them to have their own however most of the usable sleeping quarters was still  behind locked doors they have yet to access. Winston said not to even worry about it. Lena and Mei agreed, and for once, Angela couldn’t find fault in the two’s attempts on matchmaking. 

Once they were settled, came the more grueling tasks; searching the base for survivors, securing all the data on the drives and finding out what had happened to the scientists and rebels. From what Lena and Mei had deciphered from the video surveillance, the scientists were corralled to the loading bay. The feed went blank soon after, ripped from its confines. There were some corrupted videos afterwards, showing brief footage of the rebels wreaking havoc on the base but nothing beyond what happened to them. 

The task of processing a fraction of the documents and videos fell on her, seeing as she had the most experience on behavioural and psychological medicine. This meant long hours in front of the terminal she had now claimed to be hers, eating her MRE’s in front of it to not lose any progress. Angela made a mental note to write whomever it was who made said MREs to given them thanks. She also had to thank CNES specialty Swiss ones.

Fareeha would join her in the lab on most nights, looking over her own pile of documents she had to go through. They would trade parts of their rations at times, sharing the chocolate that was in hers while Fareeha would let her take some hummus when she opened some.

Angela grabbed the floating pencil from the air, jotting down another note in her notebook before letting the pencil remain floating there. She bit on her bottom lip as she read through the preliminary diagnosis of using a higher dose of Modafinil on the test subjects. 

The health data from the tests and the scientists themselves was carefully cataloged, detailed carefully down to the last blood type of each scientist to day before the rebellion. “Angela?” she heard someone call out, lightly touching her on the shoulder to make her look up.

“Sorry,” Angela replied, blinking to adjust to the dimmer lights of the room. They had been on the station for just over a week, getting used to the odd sleeping arrangements and lack of...well...everything else really.

“Angela,” Fareeha repeated, Angela shaking her head to turn to the other woman, concerned look on her face.

“Did you say something?”

“The power grids are stable,” Fareeha repeated, wiping the rest oil in her hands off her jeans, making Angela frown at the action. “Mei and I managed to check the Hydroponics systems and it seems like they are stable as well. The food stores seem to be in working order too but I’d let Mei have the final word on that.”

“Oh...Thanks,” Angela said, turning back to the data she was reading on. Fareeha didn’t move from the spot to her right, instead taking the empty chair near by to sit beside her. Angela noticed Fareeha read what she was reading, brows coming together when she saw the data too. “It doesn’t make sense, does it?” she asked her.

“No...no it doesn’t,” Fareeha said, hand ghosting over the mouse she was using. “May I?” Angela nodded, relinquishing the mouse so Fareeha can read over the notes. Details of each test subject, Winston included, and their behavioural patterns. The smaller ones seemed to be more mischievous which Angela expected. But to see the data showing that the larger primates had the same streak, was outstanding. The usage of the drug, each adverse effect didn’t change. Dependency on it didn’t change yet… “The sudden shift doesn’t make sense.”

“Winston said as much,” Angela said, leaning back on her own chair, tightening her ponytail again. “Aggressive behaviour amongst the larger primates is common but few and far between from the species brought here. Winston would have been one of bigger test subjects.”

Fareeha frowned. “And we all know what happens when he gets angry. Which is accounted for here. But there’s either missing data or they are lying about something.”

Angela nodded. “From what the data is showing, the shift from playful to rebelliousness seemed to come from three main factors: genetic manipulation, perceived lack of freedom, especially after hours, and need for control. Who masterminded the rebellion, why and what happened after isn’t here. Mentions of the drug testing is very well documented but there isn’t enough to show why they rebelled.”

Fareeha hummed in agreement, taking her hand off the mouse again but lingering by Angela in a comfortable silence. Fareeha’s close presence was honestly comforting. It was safe. Like she had nothing to worry about when she was with Fareeha. “Are you almost done here?”

Angela smiled at her, placing her hand just a bit away from Fareeha’s. “Why do you ask?” Angela questioned, though she already knew the answer. It was an invite, she could already tell, to stop working. To leave the terminal she’s been using to allow her body to rest and process. Without fail, Fareeha’s hand inched forward, caressing on top of her her hand, small, chaste kiss being placed on her shoulder.

“Come fly outside with me,” Fareeha said, looking at her. “We haven’t practiced in a while.”

“It’s only been 3 days,” Angela teased but nodded anyways. “Meet you by the airlocks in 10 minutes?”

“You got it.”

* * *

She could hear Lena’s distinctive whistle as she walked by her room, stopping before turning back around. She could practically hear her grin, Angela not even bothering to turn as she rolled her eyes. “Where you off to?”

“Maintenance on the communications arrays,” Angela lied, fastening the boots of the Valkyrie, hearing them clink and seal in placed. She smiled to herself, the upgrades on the suit working as intended. “And you’re supposed to be working on those chat logs?”

Lena zipped to her bed, Angela hearing the soft thud of her ruining the perfectly neat sheets. “I’ll get to them in a sec. Just came back from collecting more rocks, you know. Can’t disappoint the wife to be,” Lena said, tossing one of the aforementioned moon rocks up and down. “You going with Fareeha then?”

“No Lena, I’m just going to hop up and down outside, hoping I can make it to the roof,” Angela chided, Lena frowning at the retort before breaking into a fit of giggles.

“You’ve got a space date. With Captain Amari,” Lena declared, blinking beside her. “Just tell her already, Angie. She already knows. You do too.”

Angela didn’t say anything. Lena was right, although the thought of telling Fareeha still sent butterflies into her stomach. Grabbing her staff and exiting the shared quarters. She saw Fareeha standing by the airlocks, helmet already hiding her eyes. Angela imagined how they looked, remembering all the times she had caught Fareeha looking at her. How each look was filled with love and unspoken devotion. She loved her. 

She loved Fareeha.

The thought didn’t scare her. 

Saying it did.

* * *

“So,” Lena started, taking a sip out of her juice. Angela looked up from the telescope, spinning the chair around to look at Lena. “Did you tell her yet?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Angela didn't respond. Didn’t know how to respond. “I...I don’t know how to say it,” she admitted after some time.

She could see the understanding in Lena’s eyes. “It took me a long while to say it to Emily too.” Lena patted her shoulder before starting to walk away. “But once you do, it’ll be easier. Trust me on this.”

Lena walked away, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Did she love Fareeha? Yes, without a doubt. Was she afraid of this love? Yes. 

Angela gnawed on her bottom lip, thinking of the implications of this love. While she had other girlfriends (and the one boyfriend she had back in university before she realized her tastes), the love she felt for them was unlike how she felt for Fareeha.

She remembered Fareeha’s smile, how it always made her feel happy and loved even when they were both tired. How Fareeha’s grin was etched into her mind’s eyes, especially the one she gave her when she danced to her playing the one of her favourite songs on the guitar. How Fareeha somehow always knew what to do, what to say.

Angela knew it was Fareeha just being Fareeha. But Lena did point out to her ages ago that Fareeha’s attention was mostly for her. Sure, Fareeha did some of those things for other people but her smiles, Lena and Mei pointed out, was the brightest when she was with Angela. Mei noted that while Fareeha’s smiles were genuine to the rest of the team, there was a particular way she smiled at Angela. “It’s full of love, Angie. The same way Zarya smiles at me or how Jess would smile at Hanzo. It’s the same smile.”

“Angela?” the object of her inner turmoil asked from the doorway, footsteps echoing as Fareeha approached where she sat. “You okay?”

Yes… she wanted to lie. The look on Fareeha’s face, full of concern and patience made her break down. “No...I can’t…”

“Can’t?” Fareeha asked, visibly confused.

“You...This…” Angela gestured between them as she got up. “I…” The look on Fareeha’s face broke her heart. Angela bit on the bottom of her lip, struggling to find the words she was looking for. “You...GODS!”

“I understand…” Fareeha said quietly, almost as a whisper. “It was a longshot anyways.”

“No,” Angela whispered. “No you don’t….Fareeha…”

“Then explain to me, please,” Fareeha pleaded, lifting her chin up to look at her. “Angela…”

Angela surged up, capturing Fareeha’s lips in hers. It was softer than she expecting, the hand lifting her chin falling to her hip as Fareeha pulled her closer. The kiss intensified, Angela backing them up to the wall. It was Fareeha who first pulled away, resting her forehead on Angela’s as they both caught their breath. 

“I can’t lose you,” Angela whispered, tears falling from her eyes. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“You won’t lose me,” Fareeha said, taking her hand into hers.

“This…” Angela choked out, Fareeha knowing what she meant by the simple word. “It’s taken a lot from me. A lot from us. I can’t let it take you too.”

Fareeha placed a kiss on her forehead, holding her tightly. “You won’t lose me. I promise you that.”

“I….”

“You don’t have to say it until you’re ready to,” Fareeha stopped her before she could even utter the rest of the words she’d been replaying in her mind. Angela merely nodded, burying her face into Fareeha’s shoulder as she took Fareeha’s scent in. Fareeha kissed the top of her head again, whispering faintly into her ear.

“I love you. I always have. I always will.”

* * *

“I can't believe we’re going back already,” Lena said as they all sat in front of the hard light window in the telescope room. Winston was doing a final sweep of the base, all the hard disks already in their special storage units, prepped and ready to go back down to Earth. 

Winston had concluded that what he had feared: the rebellion did cost the lives of the base’s scientists. the video Mei had found showed the rebels dragging the bodies out beyond the airlock. What happened to them, Angela didn’t really want to know.

With a heavy heart, they made a makeshift memorial for the fallen, Lena taking special care with the still unused spacewalk suits to bring back to the families of the deceased. She had packed all the data regarding the test subjects herself, noting down the files CNES would want in particular regarding their captive.

Lena yawned, looking up from her spot on the floor, out the window showing the Earth. “Tomorrow, we’ll be on our way back there,” she said with a smile. “ I think I understood what Winston felt like now. Looking back at Earth from here.”

Mei nodded, taking a ‘bite’ out of her ice cream. “That’s why we’re in Overwatch, right? Our world is worth fighting for.”

“It all looks so peaceful from up here.”

“It all seems so peaceful from up here.” Angela said the same time as Fareeha did, making both of them turn to each other and giggle. Mei and Lena rolled their eyes until Fareeha leaned down to kiss Angela on the lips, silencing both of their retorts. 

“ABOUT BLOODY TIME LOVES!”

“Finally,” Mei groaned out, giving Angela a slight shove. “I can finally have someone to double date with.”

“OI! You have Em and I!” Lena said, making Mei flinch. “But I’m happy for you loves!” Lena turned back to them with a grin. “Makes a world of difference, doesn’t it?”

“It does,” Fareeha said, squeezing Angela’s hand. 

She hasn’t said it. Not yet.

But this was enough. For now, this was enough.

* * *

**Epilogue**

* * *

Fareeha settled into the seat beside her, giving her a quick kiss on top of her brow as she continued to read through the emails they had missed while they were up. 

“Hold up,” Jesse said, pointing to the two of them. “You mean to tell me that both of y’all had a thing for each other, were too damned chicken shit to say anything until you both went up to the moon? That you both confessed in front of the big fucking telescope and everything was perfect?! Fucking hell! That is the gayest shit I’ve ever heard of!”

“Language,” Angela chastised, not even looking up from the tablet.

“Bull fucking shit!” Jesse exclaimed. “Like it took me 4 tries to get Hanzo to say something! 4! Only when we went to Numbani and I was nearly dead did he confess to me,” Jesse huffed, pouting as he started to walk away from them. Fareeha just smiled, wrapping an arm around her as she continued to read on her own tablet. Jesse turned, looking at them both with a smile. “Just promise me one thing, darlings.”

“We won’t promise you anything, Jess,” Fareeha said, making Jesse glare at her.

“I get to be one of your best mans. One of you. I don't care which one but I deserve that at least.” Jesse bargained, Angela looking up to Fareeha who looked down at her. “I know one if not both of you would be in mine party, that’s for sure.”

He nodded at them, Fareeha waving goodbye. The idea of marrying Fareeha, to spend the rest of her life with her was something she hadn’t really thought of. Not until now anyways.

She could picture it though. An atypical life with the younger woman; one with the craziest adventures and friends but together. Both of them side by side both on and off the battlefield. Because she knew Fareeha wouldn’t shy away from long fought battles and taking to the skies in her suit. 

As much as Angela would want her to, she knew Fareeha can’t and won’t shy away from doing what was right. So she would be there, with her. Always with her.  “I love you, Fareeha.”

Fareeha looked at her in shock, the words coming out so casually, so easily that Angela’s mind didn’t even register it until she had said it. Fareeha smiled, kissing her on the lips. It was earnest, full of love and devotion that had taken them far too long to confess to each other and themselves. When Fareeha did pull back, Angela smiled back, settling herself snuggly in Fareeha’s embrace as they both continued to read.


End file.
